Press Conference 2 November 2004

1. Hostage incident in Iraq
2. Upcoming high-level working group meeting between Japan and North Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea
3. Presidential election in Ukraine
4. Assistance through the Trust Fund for Human Security for tackling obstetric fistula
5. Follow-up questions concerning hostage incident
6. Question concerning police investigation of hostage incident
7. Follow-up questions concerning Japan-North Korea high-level working group meeting

1. Hostage incident in Iraq

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you very much for coming to the briefing. Today, I would like to make a few announcements before I take questions.

   Firstly, about the hostage taking incident in Iraq.

   The Government of Japan condemns most strongly the barbaric acts of terrorists that killed an innocent Japanese young man, Mr. Shosei Koda, in Baghdad, Iraq. We extend sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Koda on this tragic incident.

   Mr. Koda was taken hostage in Iraq by the group believed to be led by a terrorist named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Government of Japan has made every possible effort to obtain the safe release of Mr. Koda and regret that this effort has failed to attain its objective. At the same time, the Government of Japan expresses deep appreciation for the cooperation and assistance extended by many governments and organizations including the Government of Iraq.

   The body of Mr. Koda has been transported to the Mubarak Air Force base in the State of Kuwait at 11:25AM (Japan time) today where Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shuzen Tanigawa has been waiting to escort the body back to Japan. In the wake of this tragic incident, the Government of Japan reiterates its resolve to fight against terrorism.

   Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
   
2. Upcoming high-level working group meeting between Japan and North Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea

   Mr. Takashima: The next announcement is about the high-level working group meeting between Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

   The Government of Japan today announced that a high-level bilateral working group meeting between Japan and the DPRK will be held from 9 to 12 November in Pyongyang. The Japanese delegation will be headed by Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Mitoji Yabunaka of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will consist of approximately 15 people, including officials from the police department, abductees and their family support team of the Cabinet Ministry.

   They will discuss bilateral issues including abduction cases with the North Korean counterparts and may extend their stay in North Korea if necessary.

   The Government of Japan strongly hopes that the North Korean side will provide all the information and accounts of those Japanese abducted or suspected to be abducted by North Korean agents in order to resolve these cases in a satisfactory manner.

   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
   
3. Presidential election in Ukraine

   Mr. Takashima: The third announcement is about the presidential election in Ukraine.

   On the presidential election in Ukraine held on 31 October, the Government of Japan shares the view of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) election observation team that the election fell short of the standard for democratic elections, despite the fact that the election itself was, in general, held calmly. The OSCE observation team in which Japanese observers participated found that the shortcomings include unfair treatment of certain candidates by the Ukrainian national media.

   It is apparent that a run-off election will be held in Ukraine on 21 November. The Government of Japan urges the Ukrainian Government to make this final voting a genuinely fair and democratic one.

   Related Information (Dispatch of Japanese Election Observers for the Presidential Election in Ukraine)
   
4. Assistance through the Trust Fund for Human Security for tackling obstetric fistula

   Mr. Takashima: The fourth and last announcement is about Japanese assistance for a female disease in three countries.

   The Government of Japan today decided to extend assistance of a total of US$3.60 million for the program "Enhancing Capacity for the prevention and treatment of Obstetric Fistula" to be implemented in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Mali and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

   This disease, obstetric fistula, is a pregnancy-related severe health problem among girls and women in the developing world, affecting more than two million people annually, particularly in the developing world. This program will include the establishment of a freestanding fistula treatment center or capacity building for the training and treatment of this disease and so forth. The money will be provided through the Trust Fund for Human Security set up by Japanese initiative at the United Nations headquarters.

   Related Information (Assistance through the Trust Fund for Human Security for tackling Obstetric Fistula)
   
5. Follow-up questions concerning hostage incident

   Q: I would like to ask you something about your fist announcement on the hostage crisis. Has the Japanese Government determined whether Mr. Koda was abducted on 27 October?

   Mr. Takashima: On 27 October, the picture of Mr. Koda appeared on a website and was uploaded by, we believe, the group which abducted Mr. Koda.

   Q: So you did not mean the Japanese Government has determined that he was abducted on 27 October?

   Mr. Takashima: We know that on 23 October, Mr. Koda was seen and was met by some people at the bus station in Baghdad. Since then, he disappeared, and nobody knows his whereabouts.

   Q: Has the group come up with any statements on the killings?

   Mr. Takashima: As far as we know, not yet.

6. Question concerning police investigation of hostage incident

   Q: What about the police investigation by the Japanese police? Is it going to proceed?

   Mr. Takashima: This is a criminal case that occurred on foreign soil. The criminal investigation will be conducted by the Japanese police, including inspection of Mr. Koda's body when it arrives to Japan. Other investigations will be conducted in cooperation with Iraqi authorities.

7. Follow-up questions concerning Japan-North Korea high-level working group meeting

   Q: I would like to ask something about the bilateral talks between Japan and North Korea. Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura said this morning that the North Korean officials who are directly involved in the investigation of the missing Japanese plan to attend the talks. Can you specify what kind of officials or from which kinds of organizations these officials will come from?

   Mr. Takashima: We understand that the officials are from the investigative team set up at the instruction of Chairman of the National Defense Committee of North Korea Kim Jong-Il to conduct a thorough study of the abduction cases, especially on the fate of the ten missing people. From which department or organization they are from, I do not know.

   Q: The investigation team consists of officials both from intelligence groups and local municipalities. Can you say whether officials from the intelligence-related organizations are expected to join?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not have such information at this point.